1
8.1
Baker's BBQ of Summerville
Central Avenue · $$
A husband-and-wife cottage pit that sells out by Saturday
View Profile
BBQ Guide
Best BBQ in
Charleston
Whole hog, mustard sauce, and Lowcountry tradition — Charleston barbecue from the metro's most respected pits.
37Featured Restaurants
12Charleston Metro Areas
5Pitmasters Featured
Explore by DishFind the Best of
Find the Best of
Every Cut
Charleston BBQ is defined by its iconic dishes. Follow each guide to find the best examples in the metro.
Whole Hog
Whole-hog BBQ is the soul of South Carolina's BBQ tradition — a practice rooted ...
See the Guide
Pulled Pork
Pulled pork — shoulder or whole hog, pulled by hand — is the everyday expression...
See the Guide
Mustard Sauce
South Carolina's most distinctive regional contribution to American BBQ is the m...
See the Guide
Ribs
While whole hog is South Carolina's signature, the Lowcountry has no shortage of...
See the Guide
Hash & Rice
Hash and rice is the Lowcountry's most distinctive BBQ side — a thick stew of wh...
See the Guide
Smoked Chicken
Smoked chicken is an often-overlooked pillar of South Carolina BBQ — whole birds...
See the GuideBrowse by AreaBBQ Across the
BBQ Across the
Charleston Metro
Charleston BBQ spans neighborhoods and districts. Every area has its own character.
Hollywood
1 restaurantsJames Island
3 restaurantsDowntown Charleston
7 restaurantsNorth Charleston
6 restaurantsSummerville
5 restaurantsMount Pleasant
3 restaurantsWest Ashley
6 restaurantsHemingway / Pee Dee
2 restaurantsMoncks Corner
1 restaurantsAwendaw
1 restaurantsEdisto Island
0 restaurantsRidgeville
1 restaurants
Charleston
South Carolina
The TraditionWhat Makes Charleston
What Makes Charleston
BBQ Different
Charleston is one of America's great BBQ capitals. Here's what sets it apart.
🐖
Whole Hog
South Carolina is whole-hog country — one pig, butterflied, cooked belly-down over coals for 12 to 18 hours until every part of it is ready at once. Rodney Scott brought the Pee Dee tradition to Charleston, and the city has embraced it.
🔥
Three Sauces, One State
South Carolina is the only state with three distinct regional BBQ sauces: mustard-based (Columbia and the Midlands), vinegar-and-pepper (the Pee Dee and east), and light tomato (the upstate). Charleston sits between them and serves all three.
🍚
Hash & Rice
A uniquely South Carolina side: hash — a thick, slow-cooked stew of pork shoulder, offal, onions, and seasoning — ladled over white rice. It is the Lowcountry sidekick to pulled pork, and you will not find it done this way anywhere else in the country.
🪵
Hickory & Pecan
Lowcountry pits favor hickory for depth and pecan for a softer, sweeter smoke. The two woods together work well on whole hog's long cook times without turning the meat bitter. It is a less assertive smoke profile than Memphis or Kansas City, and the pork is better for it.
FeaturedMore Charleston BBQ
Browse All More Charleston BBQ
Worth Knowing
Good to Know
Charleston BBQ — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Charleston barbecue known for?
Whole hog, mustard sauce, and Lowcountry tradition — Charleston barbecue from the metro's most respected pits.
How many BBQ restaurants does Charleston BBQ Guide cover?
Charleston BBQ Guide ranks 37 Charleston-area BBQ restaurants, each with its own review and rating.
What BBQ dishes is Charleston known for?
Signature Charleston BBQ includes whole hog, pulled pork, mustard sauce bbq, and hash & rice.
Which Charleston neighborhoods have the best BBQ?
Top Charleston BBQ areas include Downtown, West Ashley, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, and James Island.
Smoke in Your Inbox
Seasonal guides, featured restaurants, pitmaster profiles, and the occasional sauce deep-dive — delivered four times a year. No spam, no algorithms.
Quarterly. Unsubscribe anytime. No data sold.
Your Charleston BBQ guide.
Part of the BBQ Atlas network — documenting America's regional BBQ traditions.